St. Croix safety David Ponath gets a hand on Proctor running back Frank Napoli, left, during the third quarter at the Metrodome on Saturday, November 16, 2013. Ponath also is the quarterback for the Crusaders, who will be in the Class 3A state championship game against New London-Spicer on Saturday. (Pioneer Press: Simon Guerra)

St. Croix Lutheran senior quarterback David Ponath stepped under center for the Crusaders’ final possession at the Proctor 46-yard line with two minutes left in the Class 3A state semifinal.

The game was scoreless, and Ponath had struggled throwing the ball against the Rails’ defense. He was 1 for 6 for 3 yards.

No matter. St. Croix Lutheran coach Carl Lemke had confidence in his signal caller.

“David’s been putting the ball on the money,” Lemke said. “I knew the chances were very good that he was going to hit that pass.”

Ponath proved his coach correct. He dropped back and connected with senior tight end Caleb Olson — who Ponath has been throwing to since third grade — for a 30-yard completion that set up the game-winning field goal and punched his team’s ticket to Saturday’s state championship game against New London-Spicer.

The throw came a week after Ponath made the big play with his legs.

St. Croix Lutheran led Glencoe-Silver Lake 31-28 with three minutes left in their quarterfinal game, and the Crusaders had the ball fourth-and-1 on their own 30-yard line. Lemke called Ponath’s number again.

Ponath picked up the yard needed for the first down and ran 69 more for the score. His 70-yard touchdown trot sealed the Crusaders’ 38-35 victory.

“I’m just trying to make a play on every play,” Ponath said this week. “It just happens that those two games came down to a big play I had to make. I just thought, ‘I’ve done it all year; I might as well do it again.’ ”

Ponath spent his first three years of high school as a backup quarterback. He saw most of his playing time as a linebacker and on special teams, and he still is a key player on defense.

Stepping into the role of starting quarterback, Ponath was frustrated as he tried running the Crusaders’ option-style offense.

So when Lemke and the Crusaders coaching staff decided to move him to running back at the start of the season, Ponath was excited.

“At running back, I could just get the ball and run,” he said. “I didn’t really have to see what the defense was doing. It was going to be easier.”

Ponath excelled in the role. He rushed for 315 yards and two touchdowns over the Crusaders’ first two games.

But when junior quarterback Joshua Tietz was injured late in the Crusaders’ Week 2 loss to Waseca, Ponath was thrown back under center.

Lemke said the position is “completely different” from running back.

“It’s night and day. The quarterback runs the show,” Lemke said. “It is very difficult to play.”

But as the weeks went on and Ponath gained experience under center, a light turned on. The Crusaders (10-2) haven’t lost since he moved back to quarterback.

Ponath has turned the Crusaders into a dual-threat offense. Lemke said St. Croix Lutheran’s passing game is better than it’s been in years.

Ponath has thrown 10 touchdown passes and leads the team with 14 rushing scores.

The Crusaders average more than 42 points per game with Ponath running the show. He said he finally feels comfortable in the offense.

“You definitely need to work hard at it for four years to get it down,” he said. “I feel like I definitely make the right read most of the time. Practice makes perfect, I guess.”

Ponath primarily played special teams during St. Croix Lutheran’s state title run in 2011. He missed the Crusaders’ state quarterfinal loss to Blue Earth last season with a concussion.

But heading into Saturday’s state championship game, Ponath is healthy and ready to play a big role on offense and defense — he starts at safety, too — as the Crusaders attempt to win their second state championship in three years.

“That’d be a crazy thing,” Ponath said. “I think it’d be the ultimate way to end a season. … The perfect way to end my high school career.”

Jace has covered a slew of sports since he joined the Pioneer Press in May 2015, but his primary duty is covering high schools. Jace enjoys the beat, even though he's been mistaken for a student on multiple occasions.

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